Not The Last {Rough Draft}

Chapter 16: Faster, Stronger, Bigger Zombies

  "My feet hurt! We've been walking all day!" Van complained.

  "How old are you?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Haha very funny," Van said and rolled his eyes.

  "Haha very funny," Ashley mocked in a low voice. I shook my head and laughed quietly.

  "Ash, guys don't sound like that," Trent sighed. He was lagging at the back of the group with Van.

  "Oh, yeah, you're right. I guess they sound more high pitched and bitchy, huh?" Ashley said, half joking.

  "You're the one to talk," Van mumbled. Ashley gave him a dirty look and caught up to me and Nile, who hadn't spoken since our run in with Beige which was almost five hours ago.

  "I'm starving. Since we are in a town we should try to find a place to stay for the night," Ashley said, very nonchalant.

  "Yeah, good idea," I said. My mind had started to wander again, for the billionth time that day.

  "Fine, I'll make Van and Trent do the work," Ash joked. I didn't show any emotion so she just sighed and trotted back to Van and Trent. She had been trying too hard all week to keep us all entertained and happy but none of us had made an effort to support her efforts.

  Nile and I stopped and waited for Ashley and the boys to come back. There was an expression on Nile's face that I couldn't read. Sadness? Longing?

  I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I was exhausted. I hadn't slept for almost three days and the hunger didn't help. Not that I was going to admit anything though.

  I looked at Nile and saw his eyes shut and his head against the building we were waiting by. There was dried blood on the side of his head and he had his arms crossed. His normal tidy brown hair was ruffled and looked darker in the fading light. He also hadn't gotten any sleep for a few days.

  "Nile, are you alright?" I asked. I couldn't stop the question from coming out. Nile opened his eyes but other than that didn't move. His brown eyes were a cloudy color.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," Nile said with a sigh. Let's just say, within that short sigh, I knew he wasn't fine.

  I didn't even say anything back. I just leaned against the wall and twirled and fiddled with my knife, which was becoming a really bad habit that resulted in some injury.

  "Why do you do that?" Nile asked. I snapped my head up, not expecting Nile to say anything.

  "I feel like I need to be kept doing something at all times or else I will go insane," I said simply. In that moment that I responded I had lost my concentration and sliced my palm.

  "Shit," I mumbled. I squeezed together my hand quickly, hoping Nile didn't see it.

  "You need some help there, Little Miss Muffet?" Nile asked. I squinted at him.

  "No I'll be fine," I half growled. Nile laughed in a sarcastic way and grabbed my hand. I tried to draw back but he wouldn't let go.

  Nile took out a roll of bandages from his back pack and wrapped my hand in two small layers. Leave it up to Nile to have everything you could possibly need in an apocalyptic event.

  "Thanks," I mumbled and crossed my arms. Where was Trent, Van, and Ashley?

  "Why do you hate me?" Nile asked. I snapped out of my moment of thought immediately.

  "I don't hate you," I stated.

  "Then why have you been avoiding me?" Nile asked. I could detect a note of desperation.